Elastic fabric



July 3, 1934. T, F. MOORE 1,955,248

' ELAsTIc FABRIC Filed June 19. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNL/ENTQR.

.4 TTORNEY.

July 3, 1934., T. F. MOORE 1,965,248

ELASTIG FABRIC Filed June 19, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 )Nl 'EN TOR.

BYWMW A TTORNEY.

Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELASTIC FABRICApplication June 19, 1931, Serial No. 545,401'

' 11 Claims. (Cl. 139-423,)

rEhe object of the invention is to provide a novel elastic woven fabricof attractive and decorative appearance and improved structuralcharacteristics, suitable for use in corsets, brassires, girdles, andthe like undergarments, and for other purposes.

Fabrics embodying the invention include some or all of the followingprincipal features:

Elastic warp strands are combined,` arranged or associated with warpthreads including leno warp threads, and weft threads, in a manner toprovide a face of novel and beautiful design, resembling knitted fabric,and a Soft, smooth back, and with or without a cuff (i.e., a marginalportion or portions) of increased strength. The cuff portion, orportions, which may be integral parts of the elastic fabric, alsorepresent a fabric which may be independently Woven. In the main fabricthe warp threads (exclusive of the leno warps) are preferably ofsoft-twisted cotton, and lie below the elastic warp strands, forming theWhole back surface of the material, with corresponding economy of cost,as well as attaining special advantages referred to later; the weft orfilling threads include back weft picks, which preferably are also ofsoft cotton, and lie below the elastic strands, being interwoven withthe cotton warps to form a smooth, soft back; other wef't threads arepreferably of silk, and overlie the elastic strands and the cottonWarps, while leno warp threads, also preferably of silk, cross to andfro over the elastic warps and over the silk wefts, and also lie abovesome of the cotton Wefts being retained by passing certain of the latterover the leno warps; in a preferred instance, as here shown, only two ofthe cotton weft picks in each repeat overlie the leno warp, one at eachside of the elastic strand.

By this arrangement, practically the entire face of the fabric consistsof the silk weft and silk leno warp threads, although these actuallyform only a small portion of the component materials, and the fabricalso has a novel, decorative reticulated or ribbed texture, closelyresembling a much more costly knitted fabric, and further has the sheenand lustre of a full silk elastic web, while possessing the superiorityof cotton Web in matters of softness, absorption, long wear, andlowercost.

The elastic warp strands may be single or multiple, covered oruncovered, although they are preferably covered; and also preferably(although not necessarily) they are, as here shown, of the characterdisclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,849,025, granted on March 8, 1932, toOscar F. Neidel,

consisting of two individually-covered rubber strands both enclosed inan outer Wrap or coverlng.

The additionally reenforced structure, vconsidered as a separate fabric,or as a marginal or cuff portion or portions woven integrally with themain fabric, may have the same characteristics as the main fabric, withadditional elastic warp strands in generally underlying and interspacedrelation to the main elastic warps described hereinbefore, interwovenwith the cotton weft picks, and underlying the silk wefts, whereby thecuff portion (or separate fabric) has increased thickness, durability,and elastic quality, while preserving practically the same faceappearance and finish as the other, or main fabric.

The additional elastic warp strands in the cuff portions (or separatefabric). may vary in character, as stated in connection with thefirst-mentioned, or main, elastic warps; in a preferred example, as hereshown, they are single, covered, rubber strands.

The coverings of any or all of the rubber Warps may be of cotton, withmarked cost-reduction, and without impairing the face appearance of thefabric; and additional economy is realized by the use of a much greaternumber of cotton than of silk warp and weft threads, While providing apractically completely silk-faced fabric; thus, as shown, aside from therubber strands, all the warp threads except the leno warps are ofcotton, in the proportion of four cotton to one (single or double) silkwarp, and the cotton wefts are in the ratio of two to each one silk weftthread.

The soft, smooth, pliable, absorbent cotton back attained in bothportions is advantageous in absorbing perspiration, body-oils, etc., andprotecting the rubber strands to a marked degree from deterioration byaccess of such harmful substances, and in also having an agreeable feeland avoidingchaflng, etc. Additionally, it is notably flat and smooth,in contrast to the reticulated or ribbed face of the fabric, so thatthere is little or no tendency to print the texture upon the skin ofthewearer.

In the drawings;-

Fig. 1 is a magnified face View of a piece of elastic fabric, embodyingthe invention in one form.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic face View of the same, the threads being widelyseparated, to show the weave.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, also of diagrammatic character.

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified fabric, representingalso a marginal or cuff portion which may be woven integrally with themain fabric of the latter ligure.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic expanded face view of the modiiied structure.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the same.

The fabric 2 of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 may be referred to as the main or bodyfabric, principally in distinction from the form of Figs. 4, 5 and 6,which includes also an integral, modified marginal or cuff portion 4;this portion also represents a fabric which may be woven independentlyof the other portion 2; that is, either form, or variations thereof, maybe woven independently. With reference, first, to the main fabric, orform shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3:

The elastic warp strands l may be of various character, as sufficientlystated above; as shown, and preferred in some cases, each comprises tworubber strands 3; each strand is independently covered with one or moreends 5; the two covered strands are laid side by side, and jointlycovered by a suitable number of ends 7. While the material of either orboth the inner and outer coverings may be of silk, this is unnecessaryfor the invention-purposes, and both of these coverings preferablyconsist of cotton ends.

A plurality of cotton back warp threads 9 are located between each twoelastic warps 1; the number of these cotton warps may vary, beingsuflicient to provide (in conjunction with the cotton wefts) a backingof desired strength, smoothness, etc., and a fabric of required body, asabove and hereafter referred to. As here shown, and as preferred in somecases, there are four cotton warps between each two adjacent elasticstrands. There are also a suitable number 0f leno warp threads 11,usually of silk, since silk face finish is most desirable. As shown, andas usually preferred, there is only one silk leno thread for eachelastic warp; by referring to one thread, it is not intended necessarilyto designate a single end, but this thread may if desired contain aplurality of ends.

Figs. 2 and 3 show two repeats of the weft pattern. Each repeat includesa suitable number of cotton back weft threads 13, inserted in pairs inthe same shed and woven plain with the cotton warps, but wholly belowthe elastic warps, and sufficient, in connection with the cotton warps,to provide a fabric and a back of desired character; and there are, asshown, four back weft picks in each repeat, corresponding to the numberof the back warps. Each repeat also includes a suitable number of silkface weft picks 15 superposed above the elastic warps 1, each of whichwefts may also be either single or multiple ply, as in the case of theleno warp threads, the number of picks and the number of ends to eachpick being chosen to give the desired amount of silk cover to the face.As shown, lthe silk weft picks are inserted in pairs, being xed by theleno warps 11, which go under every other pick of cotton warp atalternate sides of each elastic warp. In addition to crossing the silkwefts at their intersection with the elastic warps to unite both thesewarps and wefts to the fabric, the leno makes a second crossing of theelastic warp in each repeat, which results in completely covering theelastic warp with a face of leno silk. The crossings of the leno whichgo over the silk wefts are higher than the alternate plain crossingsthereof, and have a different slant, and are left slack when the fabricis stretched slightly and the consequent reduction of diameter of theelastic warps lowers the plain crossings.

Hence the fabric, having an aspect of parallel ribs overlying theseveral elastic warps when contracted, assumes a different appearancewhen slightly stretched, as the high crossings of the lenos come intoprominence to define lines at right angles to the elastic warps,producing a reticulated aspect closely simulating knitted fabric. Also,the silk wefts in passing under the leno where it slants to the left incrossing are all given a twist in the same direction out of their normalstraight line of extent when the elastic warps contract, as plainly seenin Figs. 1 and 4, which breaks up the otherwise rectangular aspect -ofthe face and imparts an Obliquity to the reticulations which furthersimulates a knitted fabric, and gives a slight twill-like aspect to theface.

The leno warps perform their usual useful function of holding cut orbroken elastic warps against creeping in the fabric.

There is thus provided a practically continuous silk facing, consistingof the silk leno warp threads and silk weft picks, completely coveringand concealing the elastic strands and their cotton coverings, and alsooverlying and concealing practically all of the cotton warp and weftthreads, the small number of weft picks crossing above the leno warpsbeing in the plane of the back and concealed and unobservable in thecornpleted fabric. The interwoven cotton warp and weft threads form acomplete, continuous, soft and smooth cotton base or backing, underlyingthe rubber and silk strands, with the advantages sufficiently explainedabove.

The cotton back or binder warps 9 serve principally to strengthen thefabric, and to resist or limit longitudinal strain and stretching of therubber strands, as well las to bind securely together the cotton backingweft, and provide the desired back-finish, as just above referred to.

Fig. 5 shows the same main or body fabric 2, with an integrally-wovenmarginal or cuff portion 4 of somewhat modified structure, the elasticwarp 1 at the right of Fig. 1 being the same as that at the left of Fig.5. Figs. 4 and 6 show the modified structure only, which may evidentlybe woven independently of the other part 2, if desired. The modifiedportion 4 differs from the fabric portion 2, principally in addedelastic warps 20 in generally interspaced and underlying relation towarps 1. The additional, or reenforcing warps 20 may be of the samecharacter as warps 1; otherwise, as here shown, and as preferred in somecases, they are single covered rubber strands. Since these warps 20 liein the back plane of the fabric, the use of the singlestrand warpsavoids giving a conspicuous ribbed effect to the back, or greatlyincreasing the thickness. They are located midway between the main orface elastic warps l, and also at the center of each group of cottonwarp threads 9; thus the order of warps in one lateral repeat (in thespeciic form shown) is, a double covered rubber strand 1,with a silkleno warp 11 generally superposed thereon, two cotton back or binderwarps 9, a single covered rubber strand 20, and two back or bindercotton warps 9. The weave is the same as before, except that theadditional rubber strands 20 are interwoven plain with each separatecotton weft pick, instead of under two lation, and belong moreparticularly to the back, while strands 1 are in the upper, or facinglayer, as before in the fabric 'of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, so that the aspectof the face is not noticeably changed from that of the face and of thefabric of such Figs. 1 to 3. Desired additional contracting strength,elasticity, and other qualities, as above referred to, are obtained,whether this modified fabric is an independentweave, or a marginal partof the main fabric 2 of Figs. l, 2 and 3. In the latter case, thereenforced cuff is of great utility and value in fabrics for girdles,through preventing wear and tear and the undesirable rolling-over of thetop and bottom edges, wellknown defects in this type of garment. It willnow be understood that the weft threads 13 and 15 of Fig. 2 may becontinuous with those of Fig. 5, in the integral cuied fabric.

Also, while the spacing of the main elastic warps 1 in Fig. 5 is greaterthan that of Fig. 2, this is mainly for the sake of illustrativeclearness; actually, when desired, the spacing may be the same in bothcases since the additional elastic warps 20 are located in a. planebelow the main warps 1, and no greater separation of the latter isnecessary than in the fabric of Fig. 2. This is Well shown in Figs. 1and 4, in each of which two adjacent elastic warps 1 are shownprojecting, and spaced apart the same distance, since these figures arein the same scale', and in Fig. 4 one of the additional or intermediatewarps 20 is also shown projecting, midway between warps 1, but in alower plane of the fabric.

While the elastic warp 20 is shown in bent and undulant form in Fig. 6for purposes of clarity, this showing is diagrammatic only and not arepresentation of the actual fabric, because of course when the fabricis in its normal contracted condition the contraction of the elasticwarps 1 and 20 brings them into straight relation, and

the other elements shift out of their positions in Fig. 6 to conform.

While I have illustrated and described certain forms in which theinvention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may bemade therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing fromthe scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I donot wish to be limited to the particular forms shown, or to the detailsof construction thereof, but

1. In an elastic fabric, in combination," back warps, back wefts,elastic warps superposed on the back warps and wefts, face weftssuperposed on the elastic warps, and leno warps engaged with'the backwarps and crossing 'the elastic warps and the face wefts in going fromone side of the elastic warps to the other, and crossing the elasticwarps alone in returning.

2. In an elastic fabric, in combination, elastic and inelastic backwarps, back wefts, leno warps, and face wefts and elastic face warpsboth united with the back wefts through the rleno warps alone.

3. In an elastic fabric, in combination, grouped back warps. groupedback wefts inter- 5.An elastic fabric having in combination,

elastic warps, a silk facing enclosing and concealing the elastic warpsand composed of leno warps and silk wefts, and a smooth, soft cottonbacking.

6. In an elastic fabric, in combination, a back made of soft absorbentyarns, elastic elements superposed thereon, and a face covering theelastic elements and composed of leno warps and face wefts.

7. In an elastic'fabric comprising a backing of interwoven warp and weftyarns, elastic elements superposed thereon, and leno warps combining theelastic elements with the backing, the combination therewith ofadditional elastic elements incorporated in -the backing to giveincreased resistance to stretching.

8. In an elastic fabric, in combination, a back made of soft absorbentcotton yarns, a face of silk yarns, and interposed elastic elements,with certain of the silk face yarns woven as lenos to unite the elasticelements and face wefts to the back, whereby substantially all of thematerial comprising the face yarns appears at the face, and the elasticelements are completely covered.

9.. A fabric having in combination a body portion comprising warp andweft yarns constituting substantially a smooth and continuous backinglayer, elastic warps overlying said '.veft yarns, and leno warp yarnssubstantially overlying the elastic warps and caught below certain ofthe weft yarns at opposite sides of the elastic warps and an integralmarginal portion of similar structure and including additional elasticwarp strands interwoven with the wefts.

10. A fabric having in combination a bodyv portion comprising warp andweft yarns constituting substantially a backing layer, elastic warpsoverlying said weft yarns, and lenowarp yarns substantially overlyingthe elastic warps and caught below certain of the weft yarns at oppositesides of the elastic warps, and an in'- tegral marginal portion ofsimilar structure and including additional elastic warps in underlyingand interspaced relation to the main elastic warps.

11. An elastic fabric having in combination interwoven warps and weftsincluding elastic warps, leno warps, and other elastic warps combinedwith a surface of the fabric above the plane of the said wefts by meansof the leno warps.

THOMAS F. MOORE.

